Arkansas Tech University will move forward with plans to construct a new $16.5 million academic, student support and administrative facility on its main campus in Russellville following action by the Tech Board of Trustees on Thursday.

Trustees gave their permission for the creation of full construction drawings and the submission of a bond feasibility study to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue revenue bonds not to exceed $5.5 million to provide part of the funding for the project.

The remaining dollars needed to build the facility will come from Arkansas Tech physical plant funds ($7.1 million), general improvement funds from the Arkansas Legislature ($3.4 million) and general improvement funds from the office of Gov. Mike Beebe ($1 million).

“This project would not have been possible without the general improvement funds that were made available by Gov. Mike Beebe and through the legislative efforts of Sen. Michael Lamoureux,” Arkansas Tech President Dr. Robert C. Brown said. “We are indebted to both of those individuals.”

The new academic, student support and administrative facility will be located on the parcel of land previously occupied by Bryan Hall, which was demolished earlier this summer.

Once complete, the new 66,900-square-foot facility will house the following operating areas: admissions on the first floor; financial aid, student accounts and the student identification card office on the second floor; registrar, Upward Bound and Student Support Services — a pair of federally-funded programs that provide students with barriers to higher education resources to achieve their academic objectives --- on the third floor; and payroll, budget and human resources on the fourth floor.

In addition, the Arkansas Tech Graduate College and eTech — which oversees the institutional initiatives in online learning — will have a presence on the first floor of the building.

There will be classrooms and conference rooms on all four floors of the facility.

David Moseley, senior vice president for administration and finance at Arkansas Tech, told trustees that construction could begin as soon as the spring 2014 semester and that it will take approximately two years to construct the facility.

In other business on Thursday, the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees approved:

• A refinancing of bonds issued in 2003 for the construction of University Commons Phase II, a move that will save an estimated $470,000 in debt service payments over the life of the bonds;

• Parking regulations for the Russellville campus of Arkansas Tech for the 2013-14 academic year;

• The student handbook for the 2013-14 academic year;

• A transfer of $85,735 from the unappropriated educational and general fund balance for new trees and tree maintenance related to trees that will begin arriving on Sept. 1;

In personnel-related matters, trustees approved the hiring of the following new, full-time faculty members on the main campus in Russellville for the 2013-14 academic year: